POSITION SUMMARY:

The Curator of Fashion and Textiles will have overall responsibility for the stewardship and development of the museum’s extensive holdings of fashion and textiles.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

- Demonstrates curatorial responsibility for all art objects within the scope of the fashion arts department and works in cooperation with other curators where departmental responsibilities for art objects overlap, for example with prints, photographs, or contemporary art or where an artist is ascribed dual nationalities.

- Cares for research, documents, exhibits, preserves (in consultation with the Conservation Department), and publishes works of art in the permanent collection, including those in storage or on display.

- Responsible for the generation of special exhibitions, whether from concept or by assignment, organized by the Cincinnati Art Museum or by another institution. Exhibitions involve organizing, researching, writing, supervising and/or coordinating details such as lectures, catalogues, brochures, labels, installation, photography, gallery tours, publicity, fundraising, presentations on the exhibition topic, selection and negotiation of loans, hosting lenders and artists, and preparation of and adherence to budgets. Museum procedures must be followed, and all activities must be coordinated with all relevant existing divisions such as Visitor Services, Philanthropy, Marketing and Communications, and Learning and Interpretation.

- Lectures and writes on works of art in the Cincinnati Art Museum’s permanent collection(s) for scholarly meetings and/or publications, or general and particularized programs within the Cincinnati Art Museum, for books, newspapers, and general publications, all within the limits of curatorial specialties and based on or related to the permanent collections of the Cincinnati Art Museum. Where necessary, all writing (e.g., grant writing, journal writing, brochure texts) are coordinated with the proper division, such as Learning and Interpretation, Philanthropy, or Marketing and Communications.

- Seeks and recommends new acquisitions of gifts or purchases within the curatorial specialties or the permanent collections, including scholarly research and background material to justify consideration of a given art object or objects and prepares acquisition worksheets.

- Furnishes consultation and advice on art matters to other museums, public and private collectors, at no time suggesting financial appraisals. Attends conferences and lectures, and visits museums and dealers in U.S. and abroad. Acts as courier in U.S. and abroad in coordination with the Registration department.

- Installs and labels works of art in the permanent collections in concert with the divisions of Learning and Interpretation, Registration, and Design/Installation.

- Responsible for division, maintaining and adhering to all related budgets, including those related to permanent installations, special exhibitions, the department, and special projects.

- Where applicable, departmental staff will supervise, including volunteers and interns. Represents the museum at social and civic events. Serves on various committees or panels, and attends meetings demanded by the position.

- Responsible for docent training, public lectures, gallery talks and press education for selected projects in coordination with the divisions of Philanthropy, Learning and Interpretation and Marketing and Communications.

- Supports the fundraising and public relations efforts of the Cincinnati Art Museum, in coordination with the divisions of Philanthropy and Marketing and Communications.

- Serves as a liaison between the Cincinnati Art Museum and departmental visiting committees and other groups with special interest in or support of the department, including the museum-affiliated Friends of Fashion and Textiles.

REQUIREMENTS:

M.A. in Art History (Ph.D. preferred) with at least five years’ relevant professional experience in the field. Curatorial rank will be commensurate with experience.

The Curator of Fashion and Textiles must demonstrate a proven ability to work collaboratively with others to achieve institutional objectives.

Must possess a broad familiarity with fashion and textiles, from the late middle ages to the early twentieth century, with a specialty focus within these parameters; a demonstrated knowledge of museum practices; excellent written and oral communication skills; good working knowledge of database, word processing, and other relevant computer programs; and a commitment to both scholarship and working with diverse public constituencies; ability to present information effectively and respond to questions from museum staff, donors, members of the museum, and the general public.